New Delhi, June 28 -- Back workouts are an essential part of the fitness routine. Unavoidable, in fact, even if you're following a minimal plan. The back muscles are also working when you do exercises which are primarily for other muscle groups. Whether it's something as simple as doing bicep curls or a bench press, or something more advanced like a hip thrust. The back will always be engaged in some way. Which is why it gets stiffer over a period of time, especially if you don't do enough to stretch it and keep it mobile.

If you break down the back muscles into more groups, then the latissimus dorsi, or the lats, are the biggest movers. They cover the middle and the lower back and are vital for pulling and pushing movements due to the s...